Stemware Coaster

ABSTRACT

One embodiment of a stemware coaster having an arched syncline slot ( 2 ) on the upper surface to keep a variety of stemware beverage containers in an upright position. The stemware coaster consists of a base ( 5 ), an elongated concave shaped upper surface ( 3 ) and a horizontal cavity ( 8 ) that receives a stemware base. Other embodiments are described and shown.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/528,604, filed 2011 Aug. 29 by the present inventor.

FEDERALLY SPONSORED SEARCH

Not Applicable

SEQUENCE LISTING

None.

BACKGROUND

1. Field

This application relates to beverage receptacles, specifically to such receptacles for accommodating stemware designs.

2. Prior Art

Consumers normally consume beverages at places of business or at households. Most locations have some form of article used to rest beverages on to prevent a wide variety of damaging effects to local surroundings. Not only do the articles prevent damage to the surface of the table but they additionally have secondary functions such as absorbing condensation from the beverage containers. Traditionally, the articles are limited by design and are not functional to all forms of beverage containers. One specific beverage container is that of stemware designs. Presently, consumers do not have any means for the prevention of tipping, spillage and breakage of their stemware vessels.

A circular coaster made of a material that can absorb moisture and receive an enlarged base of stemware and to be carried with the stemware described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,877,705 issued on Apr. 12, 2005 to Nancy Dauer. These coasters are made from fabric to prevent the transmission of moisture onto the resting table top. The coaster construction does not prevent tipping or breakage of the stemware.

U.S. Pat No. 6,059,138 issued on May 9, 2000 to Andre Labruyere describes a slotted cup holder having multiple slots that is adapted to accommodate a variety of beverage container shapes. The slotted cup holder is a multipurpose holder that works only with an armrest to provide the stability needed to prevent slippage. In addition, the slotted cup holder can only accommodate a specific size of stemware glass bases without a complete redesign of space to accommodate larger or smaller glasses.

A stemware holder maintains a piece of stemware in an upright position that has an embodiment that has a base extending downward from a cap. The stemware holder base is insertable into the recess of a stand cup holder is described in U.S. Pat. No 8,132,770 issued Mar. 13, 2012 to Michael A. Nargi is limited by means of an existing cup holder or a thin surface to attach to.

Thus, if there is no available cup holder or a thin surface to attach the stemware holder, the holder is useless. Furthermore the differences of stemware base size limit the design to only the specified glasses in the patent.

None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to be identical to the invention as claimed. The present invention fulfills the market need of a stemware coaster that has such functionality.

SUMMARY

Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a stemware coaster that will provide stability to prevent spillage and breakage of stemware containers.

It is another object of the invention to provide a stemware coaster to accommodate a multitude of stemware vessels.

It is further an object to provide a stemware coaster that can be used in almost all industries including by cruise, air or conventional places of business.

It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof in a stemware coaster for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effect in accomplishing its intended purposes.

To meet the above objectives and in accordance with the preferred embodiment a stemware coaster comprises of a flat underside, a raised vertical side walls with crenation, a concave shaped elongated upper surface, an arched syncline slot, a horizontal cavity used to rest a stemmed beverage container, for example, a wine glass. The arched syncline serves to secure the stem of a beverage container, thereby increasing the stability to maintain the upright position held by the stemware coaster.

In alternate embodiments, an integrally formed elongated flat extension attached to the rear of the stemware coaster is used to secure the invention to an appropriately configured table, for example, a poker table that has an armrest.

Still further advantages will become apparent from a study of the following description and the accompanying drawings.

DRAWINGS—FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the stemware coaster taken from above, constructed in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 2 is a fore view of a preferred embodiment of the stemware coaster showing the horizontal cavity of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a lateral side perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the stemware coaster of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional right-side view of a preferred embodiment of the stemware coaster of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a three-quarter view of a preferred embodiment of the stemware coaster showing the contoured configuration of the upper surface of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a three-quarter view of a preferred embodiment of the stemware coaster with a stemmed glass of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is perspective view of the alternate embodiment of the stemware coaster showing the integrally formed elongated flat extension attached to the rear of the stemware coaster from above, constructed in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 8 is a fore view of the alternate embodiment of the stemware coaster of FIG.

4.

FIG. 9 is a lateral side perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the stemware coaster of FIG. 4.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional right-side view of the alternate embodiment of the stemware coaster of FIG. 4.

FIG. 11 is a three-quarter view of an alternate embodiment of the stemware coaster showing the integrally formed elongated flat extension attached to the rear of the upper surface of FIG. 4.

FIG. 12 is a lateral side view of an alternate embodiment of the stemware coaster with a stemmed glass of FIG. 4.

FIG. 13 is a three-quarter view of the alternate embodiment of the stemware coaster featuring a stemmed glass within the horizontal cavity of FIG. 4.

Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.

DRAWINGS—REFERENCE NUMERALS

-   1. stemware coaster -   2. arched syncline slot -   3. elongated concave shaped upper surface -   4. integrally formed elongated flat extension -   5. upper surface of the base -   6. stemware glass base -   7. stemware glass container -   8. horizontal cavity

DETAILED DESCRIPTION—FIGS. 1-5—FIRST EMBODIMENT

The present invention is described with reference to FIGS. 1-13. FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the stemware coaster 1 taken from above, constructed in accordance with the invention. The upper surface contains an elongated shaped concave 3 which allows a stemware container base to rest against. The upper surface contains an arched syncline slot 2 which allows the stem of a stemware container to rest against. The height and width of the stemware coaster 1 are approximately 1″ and 3.5″ respectively. The wall thickness of the stemware coaster is approximately 0.062″. The arched syncline 2 radius is approximately 0.273″ with an inside radius 2.1 in the horizontal cavity of approximately 1.478″. The stemware coaster 1 is constructed from a mold and is preferably made with injection grade plastic but is not limited to materials such wood, metal or glass. Mold construction can allow the coaster 1 to be made of one or more pieces which may be attached by means of glue, thermally bonded, sonically welded or by other means. In addition, the stemware coaster construction is not limited to any color permitted that the appropriate materials are available.

FIG. 2 is a fore view of the preferred embodiment of the stemware coaster 1 showing the arched syncline slot 2 where the stem of a stemware container along with the horizontal cavity 8 where a stemware container rests.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional, perspective right-side view of the preferred embodiment of the stemware coaster 1 showing the elongated concaved shaped upper surface 3 along with the arched syncline 2 and the horizontal cavity 8.

FIG. 5 is a three-quarter view of the preferred embodiment of the stemware coaster 1 as well as a detailed view of the elongated concaved shaped upper surface 3 along with the arched syncline slot 2 and the upper surface of the base 5 where the stemmed glass would rest.

FIG. 6 is a three-quarter view of the preferred embodiment of the stemware coaster 1 displaying the stemmed glass 7 within the hollow cavity. The stemmed glass base 6 rests upon the upper surface of the base 5.

Operation—FIG. 6

The manner of using the stemware coaster to prevent the tipping, slippage and breakage of stemware glasses is namely, simple. One first grasps the stem of a stemware container 7 and places the edge of the stemmed glass base 6 against the upper surface of the base 5. Next, slide the base of the stemmed glass into the horizontal cavity until the stem rests against the arched syncline slot 2 of the said coaster.

To remove the stemmed glass container 7, one first grasps the stem of the stemware container and slowly pulls the stemware container out of the horizontal cavity along the upper surface of the base 5 until the edge of the stemware glass base 6 is able to be safely lifted out.

FIGS. 7-13—Additional Embodiments

Additional embodiments are shown in FIGS. 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11; in each case the stemware coaster is shown with an integrally formed elongated flat extension from the rear of the coaster.

FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of the alternate embodiment of the stemware coaster 1 taken from above, constructed in accordance with the invention. The integrally formed elongated flat extension 4 is attached fluidly to the rear of the stemware coaster 1. The upper surface of the base 5 is shown along with the elongated concaved shaped upper surface 3 and the arched syncline slot 2 that stem of a stemmed glass would rest against.

FIG. 10 shows the cross-sectional lateral view of the alternate embodiment of the stemware coaster showing the length of the integrally formed elongated flat extension 4 in relation to the length of the stemware coaster 1 of FIG. 9.

FIG. 12 is a three-quarter perspective view of the stemware coaster 1 showing the integrally formed elongated flat extension 4 with a stemware glass 7 in operation. The stemware glass base 6 rests on the upper surface of the base 5, within the horizontal hollow cavity and the stem of the stemware glass 7 rests against the arched syncline slot 2. The completed alternate embodiment of the stemware coaster is constructed from a mold and is preferably made with injection grade plastic but not limited to materials such as wood, metal or glass. Mold construction can allow the alternate embodiment to be made of one or more pieces which may be attached by means of glue, thermally bonded, sonically welded or by other means. In addition, the stemware coaster construction is not limited to any color permitted that the appropriate materials are available.

Advantages

From the description above, a number of advantages of some embodiments of the stemware coaster become evident:

-   -   (1) The elongated concave shaped upper surface 3 allows for         standard designed stemware containers to rest and cradle the         stem regardless of stemware glass type.     -   (2) The arched syncline slot 2 in the elongated concave shaped         upper surface 3 of the stemware coaster allows for the stem of         the stemware containers to rest against where the center of         gravity is located.     -   (3) Integrally formed elongated flat extension 4 allows for the         stemware coaster to be held by means of either a restraining         device of the table or another device feature of said table to         hold the alternate embodiment in completely secured.     -   FIGS. 6, 12 and 13 show the stemware coaster in use with a         stemware container.

CONCLUSIONS, RAMIFICATIONS, AND SCOPE

Accordingly, the reader will see that the stemware coaster and the alternate embodiments can be used easily and will help prevent the tipping, slippage, and breakage of precious stemware containers. In addition, the stemware coasters can be relocated easily since the stemware coaster is small in nature. Furthermore, the stemware coaster has the additional advantages in that:

-   -   It permits the use of any standard stemware container base from         wine glasses to the smaller base of a Chambord glass;     -   It permits an immediately recognizable object when constructed         from different materials and/or color;     -   It allows to be used with various table configurations from the         ability to use the preferred embodiment or the alternate         embodiment;     -   It provides a clean surface from the tabletop to collect         moisture from the stemware containers;     -   It provides protection of tabletop surfaces from accidental         nicks or scrapes;     -   It provides a reusable coaster whereas other coasters are         throw-away, preventing environment problems.

Although the description above contains many specificities, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments. For example, the stemware coaster can have other shapes, such as more circular, oval, trapezoidal, triangular, etc.; the lead-in horizontal slot can have other shapes; the elongated concave shaped upper surface can be replaced by convex shaped upper surface, etc.

Thus the scope of the embodiments should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given. 

1. A stemware coaster, comprising a concave-shaped elongated upper surface, an arched syncline slot, which will overlie the base of a stemware container when said stemware container is in an upright position in said stemware coaster.
 2. A stemware coaster of claim 1 wherein a lower surface which underlies the base of said stemware container.
 3. A stemware coaster of claim 1 wherein said lower and upper portions being of one or more pieces are in fluid communication.
 4. A stemware coaster of claim 1 wherein a configured horizontal cavity where said stemware container rests.
 5. A stemware coaster of claim 1 wherein said configured cavity contains an opening configured to receive said stemware container.
 6. A stemware coaster, comprising a concave-shaped elongated upper surface, an arched syncline slot, which will overlie the base of a stemware container when said stemware container is in an upright position in said stemware coaster.
 7. A stemware coaster of claim 6 wherein said lower portion has an integrally formed elongated flat extension rearwardly from the base.
 8. A stemware coaster of claim 6 wherein said extension provides extra stability. 